Car bolster constructions



Jan. 5, 1960 s. H. FlLLxoN CAR HOLSTER coNsTRucToNs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July l, 1958 Jan. 5, 1960 s. HLFlLLloN CAR BoLsTER coNsTRUcTIoNs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1, 1958 INVENTOR MMM 5mm L 707 ATTORNEY CAR BOLSTER CGNSTRUCTIONS Stanley H. Filliou, Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to Waugh Equipment Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maine i Application July 1, 1958, Serial No. 745,852

f Claims. (Cl. 10S- 226) This invention relates to railway car underframe constructions and resides more particularly in a novel bolster for use in a cushion underframe, which includes a mov.

able draft and bufling column extending from end to end of the underframe and connected to the car couplers. The new bolster is superior to prior bolsters for the same use in that it is stronger and more durable and, in addition, includes fewer parts and is less expensive to construct.

The bolsters now in use in railway cushion underframes commonly include a top cover plate extending across the underframe and a pair of bottom tie plates extending inward from opposite sides of the underframe and terminating outwardly from the center line of the underframe. nected by pairs of diaphragm plates and a center ller casting closes the bottom of the space between the adjacent ends of the tie plates and has lateral extensions secured to the bottom of the plates. The casting supports the draft and bufling column, which is acted on by restoring springs resisting its movement in either direction from a central position produced by forces applied to the couplers, and the column 'hasvstops which engage the center filler castings and prevent the springs from going solid upon application of heavy blows to the column. The engagement of the stops on the column with the tiller casting of a bolster tends to rotate the casting and, to resist such movement, the inner ends of the bottom tie .plates of the bolster are connected to the top cover plate by torque arms and the casting has vertical extensions secured to the opposed faces of the arms. The torque arms extend from the adjacent end sill of the underframe to terminate either at the bolster or at the cross bearer inward therefrom.

The prior bolsters above described are expensive to construct because of the number of parts to be assembled and connected together. Also, the center filler castings with their two sets of extensions are diicult to produce and the torque arms add to the .cost and the weight of the structure.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel bolster which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior bolsters in that it is stronger and more durable, is less expensive to construct, and avoids the necessity of employing torque arms.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away, illustrating a bolster constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on the lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the new bolster is shown as part of a railway car underframe, which includes end sills extending transversely of the car at the ends of the underframe and side sills 11 extending between and connected to corresponding ends of the respective end sills. The underframe includes a bolster 12 adjacent the end sill The top cover and bottom tie plates are con 2,919,660 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 y includes a pair of bottom tie plates14 and, inthe construction shown, each tie plate is'secured tothe underA surface of the bottom llange of a side sill and 'extends inward toward the center line., of theun'derframe. Each bottom tie plate has an outer section 14a, which lies approxirnately horizontal and parallel to the top cover plate and a middle section 14b, which extends downward at an' angle from the inner end of section 14a. Beyond section 14b, each bottom plate has sections 14C and 14d extending upwardly the section 14C lying at Aan angle to the vertical, while section 14d is vertical. Beyond section 14d, the tie plate has janendl section 14e, which lies against the under surface of the top cover plateand is secured thereto by welding indicated at 15. The sections 14b of the bottom tie plates are connected by a center liller casting 16, which has lateral extensions 16a lying in contact with and secured to the under surfaces of the sections 14h of the tie plates. A pair of diaphragms 17 lie between each bottom tie plate and the top cover plate and each pair of diaphragms is connected by a stiffener 18 of inverted U-shape lying between and connected to the diaphragms. A stop plate 19 is secured to the inner face of each section 14d of a bottom tie plate.

The top plate, the sections 14e and 14d of the bottom tie plates, and the center filler casting 16 of each bolster define an opening and a rigid draft and buing column 20 extends through the openings and from end to end of the underframe. `The column is formed of a pair of Z-bars 20a having their top flanges secured edge to edge and the bottom flanges of the bars rest upon the lateral flanges 16a of the center filler castings of the two bolsters. The column is connected at each end to a coupler 21 by a key 22 and is acted on by the usual restoring means, which may take the form of a coil spring 23 disposed near each end of the column and encircling a link 24. Each spring bears at one end against a follower plate 25a, which engages an upward extension 26 from the center filler casting of the adjacent bolster and is engageable by stop plates 27 secured to the inner vertical walls of the column. At its other end, the spring engages a follower plate 25b secured to plate 25a by link 24, which passes through an opening through plate 25b and has an enlarged head outside the plate. Normally, the plate 25b is held by the spring against the inner sides of stop plates 28 carried by the column and the head of link 24 lies in engagement with one face of a follower plate 29, the other face of which is engaged by the end of the shank of the adjacent coupler 21. The column is provided with stop plates 30 mounted on the outer faces of the vertical walls of the column on opposite sides of each bolster and in position to engage the stop plates 19 on sections 14d of the bottom tie plates of the bolster.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that the new bolster is simpler and less expensive to produce than the prior bolsters. The use of the bottom tie plates with the integral sections 14e, 14d, and 14e produces a strong rugged structure and the parts can be assembled with less labor than is required in making the prior bolsters. The center filler casting is simpler than those previously used in that it does not include any vertical extensions and the use of the stop plates 19 and 30 on the bolster and column, respectively, for preventing the springs of the restoring means from going solid does not result in the application of forces to the center casting which tend to rotate it. Accordingly, it is not necessary to cinq 3?). ploy torque arms and the cost of construction and the weight of the structure are correspondingly reduced.'

I claim:

1. In a railwaylcar underframe having side sills and an` endw'ise movable rigid 'draft and 'buing column extending substantially from*` end to end of the underframe and havingybottom supporting anges, a bolster, whichfcomprises atop cover plate extending across the underframe from one side sill to the other and connected to the side sills, a bottomltie plate connected to and extending inward frorneach side sill, the tie plates having integral sections extending upward and dening opposite sides of fan opening through the bolster for the column and terminating in end sections secured to the under surface ofthe-top ,cover plate, a `pairof diaphragms connecting the-.top covenand bottom tie plates, and a center ller member closinglthe bottom of the opening and having extensions secured to the tie plates outward from the integral sections thereof extending upward, the member supporting thecolumn in its movements endwise through the opening,

2. The bolster of claim 1, in which the sections of the bottom tie plates extending upward have lower portions converging toward the top cover plate and overlying and spaced from the column flanges and upper portions, which are vertical.

3. The bolster of claim 1, in which the sections of the bottom tie plates secured-tothe under surface of the top cover plate extend outward toward respective side sills from the integral sections o the tie plates extending upward.

4. The bolster of claim -1, irl-which stopsadapted to be engaged by stops on the column are mounted on theopposed faces of the sections of the ltie .plates extending upward.

5. The bolster of -clairn 4,- in which the-portions of the bottom tie plates carrying the stops are vertical.

1,455,867 Downing May 22, 1923 Campbell Apr. 30, 1935 

